Tom Brady’s Birmingham City are closing on a deal for Philadelphia Union left back Kai Wagner, reports in Germany state—a player who has previously been on the radar of David Beckham’s MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.
Wagner has been linked with a move to South Florida after seven seasons with the Union, where he played a critical role in the 2020 and 2025 Supporters’ Shield-winning teams and became a three-time MLS All-Star.
Bur rather than heading to Miami, it looks like the club part-owned by former New England Patriots quarterback Brady is nearing the signing of the 28-year-old. Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports a €2.3 million ($2.7 million) transfer is close to being completed, with the player already in England ahead of the deal being finalized.
Formerly of Schalke 04 and FC Würzburger, Wagner has some experience of playing in Europe but has largely honed his craft with the Union. During his time in MLS, he’s contributed an impressive 53 assists in 153 games, also scoring 10 goals en route to becoming one of the best transitional fullbacks in the league.
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Kai Wagner is a three-time MLS All-Star. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Brady is a minority owner of Shelby Companies Limited, a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital, and their full takeover of Birmingham was completed in November when they bought the remaining 51.1% shares that were on offer.
And while the Championship outfit’s budget may not match Miami’s, there’s no doubting their profile has been raised by Brady’s presence—like with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham—and it’s helped facilitate signings that would not have been previously possible.
Miami won’t be too disappointed to have missed out on Wagner. They’ve gone in a different directions with their fullbacks, signing Spanish free agent Sergio Reguilón, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, and Jamaica international Ian Fray on the other side.
The task ahead of Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi and Co. will be becoming back-to-back MLS Cup champions, while Birmingham’s ambition is ultimately to reach the Premier League. That may have to wait for the time being, with the race for promotion extremely competitive, but they have been at the pinnacle of English soccer before.
If Wagner completes the move, he’ll follow in the footsteps of Patrick Agyemang and George Campbell, who both traded MLS for the Championship in 2025.
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